Twist of Fate
by anaime7
Summary: Just two people, one conwoman, one detective thrown into the world of broken trust, stumbling friendship, and love that's never relinquished. While lives are always in danger, where secrets are always being revealed. AU IchiRuki
1. Chapter 0

_Disclaimer: As I've said ones of tens of hundreds of thousands of millions of times: I really don't **own** anything! Just. Ugh! Stop pestering me about it! _

**Warning: Contains tragic angst, Rukia thoughts (may come very close to suicide thoughts), _guns_ (kiddos, I'm not kidding, just stay away!), a _maybe_ character death, and unexplained plot. Read at your own leisure. **

* * *

**Twist of Fate**

**_By Yours Truly,_**

**_anaime_**

**Chapter 0 (Just a fragment of time)**

Rukia swallowed weakly, surveyed her surroundings, and then moved her gaze to the man standing in front of her. She gulped back a stream of tears, _I don't cry, damn it!_, but as she stared at the expressive pools of golden amber that spoke an unknown, bittersweet language of the deepest betrayal, she let one lone crystal drop from the corner of her right eye.

The glittering droplet slide down her cheeks and hang momentarily at her tilted chin before dropping _splat_ on the cold concrete floor.

That sound seemed to have awoken the man opposite Rukia, he glared, gaze full of hatred, and whispered harshly, "You_ lied_ to me."

Unable to speak, Rukia nodded, her whole body trembled to reach that small movement.

The helpless, shaken move seemed to anger him more, now his eyes were a bright fire, one that could rival his shining hair. He gripped his gun tighter, almost choking the handle, and he growled low.

"Rukia...!"

The word was laced with so much pain, so much anguish, that it smashed open the dam that was holding all her emotions, her stronghold was ripped apart by his one word, and she could feel her soul rip in half. The tears rushed forward, and she dangled her head, and thanked the darkened light that hid her face.

"_Why?!_"

_Why..._ That word cut across her heart, and without her dam -her barrier- to lessen that blow, she felt the fresh wound gape open.

"I trusted you, Rukia! Answer me!"

A choked sob escaped her throat. She knew. Of course she did. She played with his trust. She deserved nothing but to die and rot in hell over and over and over again. Well, she would. She knew that even if everything on earth compelled her to, she could never fire her gun at him. She would rather put a gun to her own head first than hurt him. And she had. Hurt him, that is. She might as well have cut his insides open with a knife and set his body on fire.

...And now she'll pay.

New resolve lit like the last morning sun in her heart, yes, she'll repay him with her own life. Anything, anything, to erase her past transgression.

She looked up, ignored the gasp on his face at her tear-soaked face, and rasped, "Just kill me, Ichigo. I owe you at least this much. I would repay what I'd done to you for the rest of my life, but I know you'll rather me dead. So kill me. Just... Just know this before I die," Rukiapaused. Her deepest secret, the simple fact that made her life worth living and killing the same time was rushing forward from her lips, "I love you... I will always love you." Tears squeezed out of her eyes, so that was her last words to him, so untimely stated. Regret filled her soul. The three words... The _only _words in this world that brought so much happiness to her soul, so much grief to her heart, and so much confusion to her mind.

Her words seemed to freeze him, and her inner self laughed bitterly, did he not think that she'll give him her life? She'll give him _anything._ Her life was just something not worth of significance. Or was it rather the part about her loving him that he did not believe? Rukia snorted softly, well, if it was that, then it's too late now to make amends...

Her eyes caught something flash ominously in the dark alley suddenly. A burrow. Her whole brain screamed alert. She heard that slight click of the gun. Ichigo seemed to have heard it, too. His head snapped to the sound, but it was already too late. Rukia knew where the gun was pointing towards. She leaped forward as the sharp sound of a gun screamed out. The millisecond that it took for her to reach him seemed like ages. Rukia made a grab for Ichigo's jacket -how ironic, she'll die holding unto his body and breathing in his scent- and shielded him with her small body.

Rukia's last satisfied thought before everything went black with pain was that at least she'd die protecting him.

Rukia didn't even hear Ichigo crying out her name.

* * *

_Muwah. Don't kill me. My muse has been jumping erratic ideas lately, I jump from one idea to the next. So I said I'll start Breaking My Soul (the lack of reviews for the preview of that depressed me... TT), but I got to the second chapter and had new ideas, and new ideas lead to newer ideas, and now I've so much ideas I think my head will burst... And I still have Flying On Ice to do... eep. Also, yes, next chapter will be sort of six months before, five months before, etc._

_Other than that, this is going to be a M, for violence, for trickery, for high-class conning, for smex scenes, etc. Just tell me what you think. If you don't, well, I might abandon this idea and start another unfinished idea. Reviews matter, people! Review! (Also, point out mistakes I missed. My self-checking abilities are not great, and my grammar is not epic.)_

_Love ya all very much, anaime._


	2. Chapter 1

_Sometime before… _

"_Shit.." _Rukia thought, she didn't have enough time as it is. She was working on a deadline for her fate here, and she could already hear the faint, offending sirens of the police cars. _"Ah! I don't even know how they freaking manage to find me in the first place!" _

Deciding the back alley behind the bar was good enough for a quick five minute changing room, she quickly undressed from her blouse, pencil skirt, and threw away her constricting high heels in the garbage. Her jacket was tossed away in the brown paper bag, and she also threw away her wig and peeled off her green contact lenses, her fake glasses, her expensive watch, and her faux wedding ring. Damn. She didn't bring extra contact lenses. Her normal eyes were a strange amethyst shade, and she didn't want people to remember her because of it, brown was so much better. Rukia wiped away the dark skin tone on her face, and ripped her fake eyebrows off.

"_They must have put a bug on me when they were stalking me." _Rukia thought when she threw her things away. Oh well, she was stripping naked anyways, so it didn't matter.

Looking into her other bag, Rukia mentally sighed. Her brother was going to be disappointed if he found out anything about this slip up. Rukia shook off her undergarments and replaced them with the outfit that the dancers in this night club wore. It hung, ripped and tight across her insignificant chest, a bother and a blessing in this business. On one hand, women who were endowed could always use their gifts to seduce a higher power, but without the huge chest, Rukia, with her height, could always pass on as a young boy or a schoolgirl. And there were the remains of a once short skirt, also.

Yes, it was whorish. And yes, Kuchiki Rukia did look like a whore this very moment.

Rukia threw the two paper bags in the corner of the alley, poured a generous amount of gasoline on it, lit a match and threw it in. The paper bag immediately caught on fire.

Rukia could see the blinking lights of the police cars now. She hurried with her make-up. She stuck on fake eyelashes, and applied a thick, red coat over her lips, and smeared heavy blush on her face to hide the pale skin. And you can't forget the wild blonde wig.

Yep, she was ready to go.

Donning a pair of red high heels while walking to the back entrance, Rukia mused on how the police will react to finding the charred remains of her clothes and a night strip club where they expected to catch her. Or, rather, a fiery tempered man with hair as loud as his mouth and a quick brain. He was the one in charge of her case, and he was the first one in a while this close to catching her.

Rukia shook away her thoughts of _that_ man from her brain.

She grabbed the bare shoulders of a girl that was standing in front of her, put on a menacing face, and growled, "Hey! Who said it's your shift? I'm next!"

Judging by the slightly confused look on the girl's face, it was safe to say that she did a good job. Flicking her blonde mane over her shoulders, she climbed on stage and grabbed an available pole.

_Three_

Rukia twisted around the pole and smiled sensually at the man closest to her. He had a visible bulge resting at the tent of his pants. Rukia smiled to hide how revolted she was.

_Two_

Rukia hooked her legs around the pole, almost anticipating for a moment. She blinked, making the neon lights around her disappear only to replace the scowling face of the man that's been hunting her down.

_One_

She slid down the pole in a languid move with her legs parted. Almost. Almost. The dark lights and the enclosed space of the bar were making her sweat. Rukia scoffed internally. Kuchiki Rukia was not raised to sweat.

_Zero_

The front door of the bar burst open, and an infuriating man stepped in, looking enraged. Another man at his side spoke some words to him, and Rukia saw –during a half-turn- that he conveniently punched the wall opposite him. He took one last careful glance at the alcohol entrenched room, took sparing glances at the partially naked girls and locked eyes with Rukia.

Rukia couldn't move, all she could do was stare into the smoky amber eyes of the man a few meters away from her. It was intensely hot, Rukia could feel her whole skin sizzling.

And then he looked away. He exited the pub begrudgingly, knowing he had lost this one round. Rukia let herself this one glint of satisfaction when she exited the pub minutes later. No one had noticed her. It was a successful mission, if almost getting caught was successful.

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After a short shower and serving herself a glass of vermouth, Rukia picked up her cell phone on the table. She suppressed a sigh before dialling the number she knew so well. She wanted a break, Japan was getting chilly, her bank account was getting fat, and Rukia had her eyes set on Hawaii. Just a few days... She silently wished before she dialled and waited three seconds before it rang up.

"Kuchiki Rukia, reporting in."

"Please report."

"Mission number 2047291, successful with no casualties."

"Mission number 2047291 is now reported in. You will receive your next mission by mail next morning. Please enjoy your break."

The other line beeped before the connection was broken. Rukia clenched her cell phone tightly and shut the lid with an audible _snap_.

_Break, my ass._

She fished for more Vermouth.

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She saw the manila envelope being shoved underneath her threshold door. She counted to three before standing up, and she bent down to pick up the envelope after three quick steps. Inside was a stack of papers held together to a simple black staple.

Rukia stared at the staple. She immediately walked over to her couch and sat down.

_Where is my alcohol?!_

Her confirmations were proved true when she read the mission's first words.

_**Mission XXX 454**_

_Alcohol! I need my alcohol!_

Rukia read on.

_Kuchiki Rukia, you are hereby assigned to a XXX Rank Mission. We have checked our reports, and to our knowledge, your being an agent to our association for six years, have done seven XX Rank Missions. Additionally, you have shown excellent skills in normal X missions. We are pleased to inform you that our association have recently decided to give you a XXX rank mission. You must know, this mission deals directly with the well-being of our association. It is most crucial that you complete this mission. Details of the mission are below. Please note carefully._

_Mission XXX 0000454_

_Rank: Top Secret_

_Goal: Infiltrate the police_

_Date: 2009-11-04_

_Agent: Kuchiki Rukia_

_Synopsis of mission: It has come to our attention that some agents are having trouble completing their missions, and a few have already been captured. Rest assured, they were taken care of. However, since we do not have any spies in the police department, we do not know how severe this bug is. Your job is to pass yourself as an able agent in the police department and find out and terminate any and all threats. _

_Please also note this mission is of the utmost importance. We will give you two days to prepare. Next page includes further details for you to remember._

_If you do finish this mission successfully, the association will give you a break for two weeks aside from the annual pay check._

Rukia finds that she does not need her alcohol anymore when she read the last line.

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_Three days later_

"Why?! _Why?!_ Why do we have a new recruit suddenly? Why? I never agreed to this! This is going to mess up this whole investigation!"

Ishida looked up from her coffee cup and raised an eyebrow questioningly to Tastuki, "What's wrong with the hollering monkey today?"

"I heard that!"

Tatsuki shrugged. "We have a new member on the team. Ichigo's just being paranoid."

"I'm _not_ being paranoid!"

Ishida raised his other eyebrow, "Hmm, hopefully the person won't be scared to death just by looking at Ichigo's hair."

"_Hey_!"

Tatsuki replied, "Nah, the higher ups say she's pretty experienced. Actually, she's supposed to come in any minute."

"_What_? _It's_ a _she_?!" Tatsuki glares at Ichigo, Ichigo gulps. "I mean... she's a she, hehe."

Flicking his hair out of his eyes, Ishida answered, "But still, that's a little fast, isn't?"

"Exactly!"

Tatsuki sipped her morning tea, "Maybe. But they probably sent her because they sent this investigation was hulling itself. "

"Hulling itself? Hulling itself? It's a pain in the ass!"

Ishida turned his cool eyes to the clock, "So, when?"

"Don't ignore me!"

Tatsuki turned to look at the clock hands as well, "I really don't know... But I need to pick up some papers on the fourth floor. Want to come and ditch this spluttering buffoon-head here?" She flicked her thumb towards the fuming Ichigo.

"_Tatsuki-!_"

"It would be my pleasure," Ishida pushed up his glasses and with a hint of a smirk, prepared to exit the office with Tatsuki. A shrill rang stopped him. Ichigo's phone. Tatsuki looked at Ishida knowingly, and they both halted in favour of listening to the muffled swore that escaped Ichigo's mouth.

Some seconds passed before Ichigo snapped the phone shut. A scowl itched across his face.

"New case, guys. We can't wait for the new person. Let's go. Some insane lunatic is holding a few girls hostage and demanding money in a run down building. Tatsuki, round up the team and head out. It's the building on the northern outskirts of the city, we used to pass it everyday in high school, you remember?"

"Yep." Tatsuki grabbed the cell phone that hung low on her hip and shouted commands into it.

"Ishida, let's go. This man doesn't sound like he's very patient."

And a few second later, Kuchiki Rukia walked into the office and found it empty.

"Tatsuki, we're already here. You're a few minutes away? Okay. Ishida and I are going to go in first. We don't know where the man is. Yep. You guys come in after us when you get here. Contact everyone if you see the man. Kurosaki out."

Ishida nodded curtly to Ichigo when he snapped shut his cell. It didn't look like it, but both of them had worn bulletproof jackets underneath their coats.

Ichigo gave the go-ahead with his eyes even though Ishida had already climbed up the staircase. Sighing mentally, Ichigo was all alert when he turned the corner that would lead him down the corridor.

This run-down apartment building was huge. All eight floors of rusting metal and broken cement. They had to search it. Thoroughly. Who knew where the man hid the teenagers.

Ichigo walked silently, careful that his shoes made no sound against the hard, cold ground. The November air that drifted its way into this windowless building was cold and chilly. His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Ichigo jerked it out of its holder and pressed the listen button.

"Arisawa speaking. We're here already. What's the plan?"

"Good. Tatsuki. This building has eight floors. You take the others and go search level three to level eight. Ishida and I have one and two covered. You copy?"

"Yes. We'll go in straight away. Arisawa out."

Ichigo shoved ehoved the annoying device into his belt and kept on . illy. case.

he corner and was five meters away. his cell phone into his belt and kept on moving. His whole body tensed when he turned a corner. His gun stayed glued to his hand. There were many rooms on a single floor. The building used to be an apartment. Another swift of wind drifted through the building, making a hollow sound.

Ichigo looked down at his watch intently. It had already been twelve minutes since he got here. He was almost done inspecting all the rooms on the floor. Ichigo scowled. If the man was smart, then he should have held the girls hostage at lower floors. That way, at least he had an escape route by jumping out of the window. It looked like the guy had chosen the seemingly safer higher up floors. He wasn't worried, everyone on his team can easily catch an amateur kidnapper probably freaked out that he went to such drastic measures to get money.

Ichigo scoffed, honestly, he couldn't believe criminals were so stupid. A wife kills her husband, denies it, but goes out partying anyways to celebrate her newly earned freedom. Bank robbers will wear ski masks over their heads, takes it off later when everyone is blindfolded, but doesn't remember the security cameras watching them above. All the criminals he'd met in the seven years of his career were like that.

Except… one.

Ichigo shook away his thoughts. He can't be thinking about _her _again. It just wasn't sane to think about a person he'd never met every single moment of his spare time. It was pretty obsessive. Unable to fight off that tempting stream of thoughts, Ichigo mused again on his rather large case. He was caught up in his thoughts as he rounded another grey.

His toes scuffed a piece of cement. The excess energy sent the heavy block skidding once, twice, three times before it bumped against the opposing wall. The tinkling noise echoed over the cold, harsh silence. Ichigo cursed silently. That was the last time he would let his mind wander while on a case. Ichigo tuned his ears up to see if the noise had disturbed anything in the last room on the first floor.

Nothing.

The room was empty except for the peeling paint on the grey walls.

Ichigo stood in the empty room, surveyed the surroundings with almost mild interest, and turned to look at the supposed window that was really a rectangular hole on the far wall.

The sky was overshadowed by pregnant clouds. The midday sun was blocked by a thick, grey veil. It was going to rain today.

Ichigo did not notice the lithe figure that was quietly creeping up behind him, body tensed like a lion going for the kill. The person leaped on top of Ichigo, causing both of them to crash down on the floor like potato sacks. Ichigo only knew he was being attacked, tried to grab his gun, '_get on top!_ 'his brain screeched at him, before he conveniently realized his gun just spun five feet away from him because of a painful strike delivered to his wrist. Before Ichigo could do anything at all, he felt the cold barrel of a gun on the nap of his neck.

_Fuck._

"Hello."

It was the deep alto voice of a female. Through Ichigo's haze of surprise, he didn't think about the possibility of the person on top of him not the kidnapper. He didn't notice the light weight that was on him. He couldn't tell that the legs that were strapped across his hips were too skinny to be a man's.

He was just trying to think of a way to escape.

"Where are they?"

_What? Where's who? My team? Apparently on the upper floors and too far away to notice me!_

The barrel pressed harder against his neck. "I asked… where are they?"

Ichigo snarled. He wasn't stupid. He'll rather die than give away his team's location. The surprise was gone, now. Ichigo's brain now alerted him to the situation. It was a woman. A woman was straddling his hips and pressing a gun to his head.

Well… excuse the fact that he just might meet the end of his rope this very moment, but Ichigo's pride roared its ugly head. It could not accept the fact that a _woman _caught him by surprise and now had the upper hand. Ichigo had quite enough of _woman _getting the better of him.

His brain did a quick calculation.

Damn his crazy old father if Ichigo couldn't win this one.

He shifted quickly. His pectoral muscles strained to snap up and his elbow was ready to strike. The person above him '_not for any longer!' _gasped as his sharp elbow taught her between her shoulders and chest with lightning speed. His supporting arm beneath him strained as he held unto the criminal's calf and pushed her off of him. Ichigo made sure her back slammed against the cold floor. His whole body followed hers. Ichigo hardly had time to do the victory dance before he realized something.

His eyes widened when he saw the shiny, black gun pointed at his face. Its holder was wheezing in pain, but the arm not injured was holding the gun very firmly, ready to cock back and let fly.

Ichigo gulped.

He hadn't counted on the tiny, compact female's arm he'd hit reaching into her pocket for a pair of handcuffs.

_Wait… Handcuffs?_

His eyes widened again to the size of dinner plates as he saw the police badge on the woman's chest. He wanted to leap off, now fully aware that his hand was still grasping firmly on the woman's exposed thighs.

"Hands up in the air, bastard."

This woman was probably the new recruit they had. _Obviously_, she was blind because she _obviously _doesn't know she's threatening her new immediate boss, and _obviously _she couldn't see the gleaming badge on Ichigo's coat. Pour in the fact that Ichigo didn't want a new recruit in the first place. Mix in the fact there was a lunatic kidnapper on the loose. Sprinkle in another fact that he was just bested in attempting to gain the upper hand on their situation, Top it all of, Ichigo knew it was going to be dreary weather today…

So, it was perfectly acceptable that Ichigo forgot the she-demon beneath her controlled his life with the adjustment of her finger, and he growled out, "_No._"

A flash of surprise appeared on her face before she narrowed her eyes. "What did you just say?" She raised the gun higher.

Ichigo didn't know he could growl half as loud as he was doing now, "You heard me, _under_ling!"

Her brow furrowed further until they were almost connected. A look of understanding passed briefly on her face when her eyes actually looked at his face before they turned amused, almost. Her eyes turned into a deeper violet when she glanced at his hair. Ichigo saw that she blinked her amethyst eyes (it seemed so familiar) slowly, like she was trying to erase that laughter from her eyes. She opened them up again, but the traces of amusement were still there.

"I see. Nice to meet you, boss. I'm afraid I mistook your hair as a criminal's. I apologize," Her tone didn't sound like she was a _bit_ sorry, "Now, are you sure, even though you _are _my boss, that your hand should be where they are?"

Ichigo jerked his burning hand back. His cheeks tinted a faint pink when he realized that his hand had not left his new team member's exposed thighs, but stayed glued to the creamy white skin. He forced his scowl to become more pronounced.

"And are you certain that our position is… appropriate?"

In a flash, Ichigo was up faster than a person can say 'oh shit'. He was just on four limbs and cornering his new partner's body with his own, and he'd seen the position enough times to know what it implied to onlookers.

And oh yeah, the hand didn't help.

Ichigo looked over at her, and damn it all. Her eyes were silently laughing at him, effectively mocking him. Ichigo felt his bad temper shoot up like an already launched rocket. He silently watched her dust her skirt while standing up. Showing no pain in her shoulder.

She looked over at him, mirth in her liquid blue eyes (Were they blue? Ichigo swore that they were violet just a few moments ago). She walked over to him, all the while containing a barely held back chuckle. She reached him, looked up, smirked slowly, and let her hand reach across the distance that separated them.

"It's not underling, it's Kuchiki Rukia."

Ichigo found it in him to smirk back, and grasped her tiny hand in his firm one.

"I see… I'm Kurosaki Ichigo."

It was a befitting way to start their way past due relationship.


End file.
